Why Does Sydney Leave 'The Bachelor'? She Dipped Out Earlier Than Expected

Usually the Bachelor is the one who gets to make the eliminations, but Colton's had a tough go of it so far during his season. First Elyse chose to leave the competition last week, and now in Week 6, Sydney took herself out of the running. But, why does Sydney leave The Bachelor?Well, her reasons are not making Colton's search for love any easier.

Sydney has laid pretty low on this season of The Bachelor, so audiences didn't get too much of an opportunity to get to know her very well. She really shown during the Week 3 strength challenge group date, where she was the only woman to be able to pull an entire limo herself. It makes perfect sense that Sydney is in such great shape. The Virginia Beach-native is a barre fitness instructor, and gave up a spot as a Knick City Dancer to be on The Bachelor.

But, while Sydney has excelled at fitness and dancing, she hasn't been quite as successful romantically. She admitted in her ABC bio that she's never had a boyfriend before. When she broke things off with Colton in a private conversation, she said that she was feeling a wall between the two of them. It stands to reason that she'd want to make sure her first real relationship is with someone she truly cares about.

Since Sydney and Colton didn't get the chance to spend quality time together on a one-on-one date, she felt like they weren't opening up with each other the way he's been with the other women. Sydney told Colton, "If it was right, it would be a lot easier than it has been for the two of us." So while it's a justifiable reason for Sydney to break up with Colton, it doesn't mean that it made it hurt for him any less.

After Elyse left Colton on last week's episode, Colton was floored by the realization that he could still end up alone at the end of this season, even after spending time with all these women. He said:

For someone to just give up on me and give up on us, I mean, it's confusing. I've had people give up on me in the past. That's my worst nightmare: getting to the end of this and not being loved back, not being enough.

Sydney leaving Colton right after he suffered a heartbreak with Elyse must have been crushing for Colton. But, it also sounds like Sydney did leave for the right reasons. Colton has said multiple times on the show that wants to feel a real, true connection with the woman he ends up with. If Sydney wasn't feeling it, then it was probably the right decision for both of them.

Sydney seems to have still have a valuable experience being on The Bachelor. She's shared photos on her Instagram of her with some of this season's other women, so it looks like she's leaving the show with some meaningful connections, even if their friendships and not a romantic relationship.

With fewer women left on The Bachelor, things are getting more serious for Colton. He needs to start really narrowing down his choice for the one, which he should be able to do as long as the remaining women leave the decision up to him instead of choosing to leave the show themselves.

Season 23 of The Bachelor continues on Monday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.